Doused Flames
by heylooklisten
Summary: Two weeks before exams, and Draco Malfoy persuades Hermione into relaxing her mind for once; but the flame that was lit is doused quickly that same night when Death Eaters invade Hogwarts and Hermione's world flips. ONE SHOT.


**Hey all! The first non-canon ship I'm writing about is here - Dramione, a ship I was quite obsessed with when I was about fourteen. Hope you enjoy it ;P**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or themes. J.K. Rowling does.**

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If there was one place in Hogwarts you could guarantee Hermione Granger was spending time in, it was the library. It was only common knowledge to every student and every teacher, regardless of whether they knew her or not – time and again, there she was, tucked into her nook with a shaky tower of books of all sizes around her, creating a nice little fort built on pure knowledge.

That morning was no exception – there were two weeks before exams and Hermione was scribbling notes furiously, the rhythmic scratching of her quill like a melody to her. The library was hushed and dim, with the exception of the few overachievers that wasted no time at all to begin their study schedule. Madame Pince drifted in and out of aisles wearily, using her wand to send misplaced books back to their original shelves after last night's hurricane of frantic students.

Hermione sighed and whipped out her planner – she'd just finished her quick morning review on Muggle Studies and checked to see what was next on her list. Her head was bowed, hair swinging forward and blocking her view of whoever dragged back the chair opposite her and set down several of their own books. Hermione had written down Potions revision and didn't hesitate to get straight to it.

"Everlasting Elixir..." Hermione muttered to herself, her nose buried into _Advanced Potions Making._ "Four clockwork stirs to every counter clockwise stir... one drop of dragon blood..."

"... and let it stew for seven hours."

She paused and looked up for the first time in over an hour. Her wall of books concealed whoever was on the other side – Hermione grabbed several of her Charms textbooks, heaving them off to the side. She blinked at the perpetrator.

"Of course it's you," she mumbled, dragging Advanced Potions Making back in front of her.

Malfoy smirked, opening his own copy of the potions book. "I'd doubt you'd expect anyone else at this point."

Hermione shot him a withering look. Since she started her study regime two months ago, Draco Malfoy had already visited her several times for 'simple study help', or so he claimed it to be. It was rather peculiar – over time, she discovered he was a lot more clever then she'd judged him to be and ended up benefiting even her sometimes.

"I don't have time for your shenanigans today, Malfoy," Hermione pressed, flipping through the textbook madly for any missed readings. "Exams are in two weeks. _Two_."

"You were ready a month ago. Calm yourself, Granger..." he drawled, eyes flicking across his notes lazily.

"Calm?" she said shrilly. "Nobody should be _calm,_ we could fail!"

"Ok, ok, don't get your knickers in a knot."

Madame Pince appeared swiftly. "Silence or you're out!" she said sharply.

Malfoy smiled, amused. "You heard the woman," he whispered. "Shut up or you're out."

Hermione huffed and ignored this, forcing herself to focus on her Potions book. She could feel Malfoys' grey eyes piercing into her. After several moments, she looked up again, frustrated.

"Why aren't you studying Potions?" she demanded.

He shrugged. "That exam will be a breeze, I'm convinced I'm already fully prepared. No need."

She eyed him suspiciously. The library's population and grown immensely in past little while and Hermione was glad the towering books around her and Malfoy's table concealed them well enough for anyone walking past.

"You can't be serious. You don't know _everything_."

Malfoy's curled his lip slightly in a sneer. "Try me."

"Fine, if you're that big headed about it," Hermione said coolly. She had many types of practice questions prepared in her head that neither Harry nor Ron could figure out. It was going to be no problem at all to make Malfoy slip up, she thought, enjoying the air of a challenge. "I'll give you a mini quiz."

"And what's in it for me if I pass with flying colours?" he asked, drumming his fingers on the desk in anticipation.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Doubtful."

"Oh no you don't," he said, his eyes gleaming. "I'll be the judge of that. _When_ I trample over your little quiz, I have something in mind. Start."

"The composition of the Draught of Peace?"

"Fluxweed, aconite and the tail hairs of rabbit," he said, not missing a beat.

"And what's the most important aspect of a potion...?"

"Concentration."

"How many stirs does it take to rectify a wrongly stirred potion, and in what direction?"

"Trick – you've got to start over."

Hermione shot a dozen more questions at him, which Malfoy answered with fluid ease. She couldn't believe it – she didn't think anyone knew their Potions material that well and in such good detail. It took her months to know the answers to those questions like he knew them. She struggled to hide her frustration, and though Hermione wanted to deny it, her admiration.

"W-well," she stammered, closing her book nervously. She had no idea what she was getting herself into – an idea of Malfoy's could not be any good. "Those were all the questions I had in mind."

Malfoy leaned back triumphantly. "And now you're going to come fly with me."

Hermione froze, struggling to determine whether or not he actually asked her to come fly with him.

"You're kidding me," she cried, immediately regretting her loudness and craning her neck above the books, hoping Madame Pince wasn't nearby.

"I-I can't fly!" she squeaked, feeling nauseous at the very thought. "And why would I want to come flying with you?"

"Because I know you've liked these little hushed sessions as much as I have," he hissed. "And I'm sick of being in this dreary library all bloody day."

Hermione crossed her arms, her face hot. "I have _not. _And how could you think about having fun at a time like this?"

He shook his head, putting his books into his book bag. "A little fresh air is good for the mind, you know, clearly you haven't been studying hard enough."

Hermione huffed – it was undeniable; her mind felt like a pile of mush and her muscles were aching to go walking for a bit. Perhaps she did deserve a little break from her studies to relax herself.

"Fine," she sighed, getting up sluggishly and packing her stuff away. "But not for too long. And I'm coming right back here when it's over," she added.

He grinned, swinging his bag onto his side. "That's _if _you want to come back," he pointed out slyly. "Be at the Clock Tower Courtyard in ten minutes."

He strolled off without another word.

Hermione took a long breath and started walking in the opposite direction. It was true that these library sessions either made Malfoy a lot nicer than usual to her, or he was just a different person when he wasn't around his Slytherin posse – nevertheless, he was right when he said she enjoyed the sessions. It was a nice change, having someone to talk to and study with that knew what they were talking about. He challenged her intelligence, and she loved it.

She hurried up to Gryffindor Tower to drop off her book bag, making sure she didn't run into either Harry or Ron – neither of them knew about her new found 'friendship' with Malfoy and she planned to keep it that way. She felt a dull pang at the thought of Ron; he was clueless when it came to her diminishing feelings toward him. At that moment, he was probably off someplace doing unspeakable things with Lavender Brown. Perhaps that's why she tolerated Malfoy being around her – the attention he gave her was overcoming her jealously towards Ron's new relationship. It was nice change indeed.

Malfoy was waiting for her in the courtyard, gazing off into space.

"Okay, let's get this over with," she said, coming up behind him.

He blinked and snapped out of his reverie. "You're here," he said, somewhat relieved.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

He shrugged, stretching out his arms. "I had my doubts. It would have been typical if you ran off." He paused. "You'd have regretted that though," he added with a chuckle.

"I'm not a pretentious prude like you," she said haughtily. She glanced at his broom nervously, then back to him.

"I... can't... fly," she said feebly.

"Oh, don't _I _know that," Malfoy said, mounting the broom. "_You'll_ be the passenger. Come on then," he smirked. "Show me your lame Gryffindor qualities."

Hermione mounted the room behind him reluctantly, looking up. The sky was awfully high up...

Without a warning, Malfoy shot up into the sky like a bullet, causing Hermione to latch on to him with a yelp.

"You_ freak_!" she screamed, gluing her eyes shut as the broom continued rocketing upward. Over the sound of the wind, she could hear Malfoy's laughter as he went for another dip.

After a number of loops and jolts left and right, Malfoy slowed down to a sluggish trickle.

"C'mon, this is no fun if your eyes are closed," he whined.

Hermione's eyes fluttered opened and she felt her heart leap – they were much higher than she anticipated. Hogwarts castle shrunk considerably when you considered the massive size of the castle on the ground. They were five times higher than any of the trees of the Forbidden Forest, and she could even see the small cluster of Hogsmeade shops in the distance. The scenery from up there was absolutely breathtaking.

"Oh dear," she squeaked weakly. Her arms were still wrapped tightly around Malfoy, despite him not even holding the broom anymore.

"I could get used to this," he mused, raising his eyebrow at her embrace. His blondeness was more prominent up here as the sun's summer rays bore down on them.

"This is only because I don't want to fall to my immediate death," she cried, peeking down at Hogwarts again. She could feel the heat rushing to her face because of the comment, but didn't dare let go of him. Gryffindor or not, she valued her life.

"Not that bad eh?" he said, swinging his leg around so he was seated sideways on the broom, much to her horror.

"No," she admitted. "This is quite nice, actually."

"Hermione... I-I have to thank you."

She looked up at him, startled. "What for?"

Malfoy twitched his mouth, trying to summarize what he was about to say. "Things have been... bad, lately. Things with me, things with my family," he said glumly. "These are dark times."

"There is no denying," she said quietly, ending off the phrase being repeatedly heard throughout the Wizarding World.

"You've probably already guessed it, but my father isn't the greatest guy. We're trying to get out of a mess, sort ourselves out. It's just... not as easy as I thought. Things are tough." he said, rubbing his forearm. The dark shadows under his eyes were clearly visible in the light.

"How could I have helped? Our little conversations in the library? But..."

He smiled weakly, looking more vulnerable than she's ever seen him. "You make me remember that my life doesn't have to be so rubbish. That I can have peace of mind again. Normalcy."

Hermione felt a pang in her heart – to know that she had a real meaning to someone, and hearing it out loud, she was struck hard emotionally.

She loosened her grip on his waist and placed her hands on his shoulders. Taking a hint, Draco leaned forward in response, brushing his lips with hers lightly. As simple as it was, Hermione felt a jolt of static buzz through her and felt even more alive, all those miles up in the sky. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her even closer to him and deepening the kiss.

"Hm," he said, breaking it off. His characteristic smirk was back on his face – Hermione wondered if it was only a mask hiding his pain after all. "I didn't think Gryffindorks had that in them."

Hermione rolled her eyes, giving him a slight smile. "Oh, get over yourself."

He chuckled and swung his leg back again, ready to fly. "Hold on now."

The broom bolted to life and they made their way back to land. Hermione left her eyes open this time, enjoying the wind rushing past her. Malfoy was right – she needed this after all of her brutal studying.

Back in the courtyard, Hermione hopped off, welcoming the solid ground beneath her happily. When they were both in the actual castle again, Malfoy turned to her hesitantly.

"If I don't – if I disappear tonight," he said lowly. "I just want to thank you one more time. It's good to know I'll have something fond to remember."

Hermione stared at him, puzzled. "What do you mean, disappear? There are still two weeks of school left, you fool."

He gave her a feeble smile, though his eyes looked indignant. There was a buzz of students approaching them, and they both knew it was time to go opposite ways.

"I'll always have those library sessions of ours." he said with one last smile. With that, he turned on his heel and walked away briskly. Hermione watched him go as other students walked the opposite way, loud with laughter and chatter.

Mixed with confusion and longing, Hermione walked slowly back to her dormitory, and couldn't help but wonder why he said that with such an air of finality.

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That night, Death Eaters invaded Hogwarts while the students slept. Dumbledore was murdered by Snape. The castle went into a state of fear, horror, and alert.

When she found Harry, he quickly recapped the events he witnessed to both her and Ron. It was Draco who was destined to kill Dumbledore – for reasons untold, he failed, and vanished with the Death Eaters after a long struggle.

And just like that, Draco Malfoy was gone to answer to Voldemort. Hermione finally found a light in her grey life, and it was doused out just as quick. When her eyes watered at the thought of his potential death, nobody questioned her about it, because Dumbledore had died too and there was not a dry eye in the vicinity.

The last thing he said to her replayed in her head the following grim days – _"I'll always have those library sessions of ours."_

_Fin.  
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**And there you go. Kind of went down a dark road, eh? REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS, you know I embrace them like... like things I like to embrace. Which is good haha. What'd you like? What didn't you like? I welcome all sorts of thoughts.**

** Thanks and I hoped you liked it!**

_**p.s - Any ship suggestions (minus slash) that people are eager to read about? I'm definitely willing to try out something new**_!


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